


The Third Prince

by Kilekim789



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Implied Mpreg, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:29:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28855854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kilekim789/pseuds/Kilekim789
Summary: Prince Minhyung, the third heir in line, faces a dreadful ending, accused for murdering his Emperor father and plotting to claim the throne.Mark Lee, the workaholic CEO, gets drunk at a pub after getting dumped by his girlfriend, and in his drunken haze he gets transversed into a world where the society is divided into 3 sub genders; alpha, beta, omega.And wakes up with seven husbands!Update - every Tuesday
Relationships: Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Mark Lee, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Mark Lee/Lee Taeyong, Mark Lee/Na Jaemin
Comments: 24
Kudos: 107





	1. The Execution of the Third Prince

**Author's Note:**

> This story is inspired by the Chinese web novel "Empress harem".
> 
> Zero knowledge of the novel is needed to understand the story. This carries a whole different plot. 
> 
> I hope you would enjoy :) 
> 
> Update - every Tuesday

His hands were curled up into balls, pressed against his knees as he knelt Infront of the staircase to the main palace. The hard ground was unforgiving. But it couldn't be compared with the ruthlessness of the beating drums. It couldn't be compared with the coldness of the officials that stood in two rows at either side of him. It couldn't be compared with the cruelty of the man that sat on the throne on the top of the stairs.

But none of that could compete with the brutality of the betrayal of his lover; his lover who now sat beside the throne, on the chair that belonged to the empress.

He wanted to lift his head up, to look at his sweet love for one last time. But he didn't dare. His brother was there.

The voice of a court official boomed above the loudness of drums. But he could barely hear any of it.

".....accused for mutiny, plotting to usurp the throne, murder…." The list went on. "...abuse of authority, life threatening…."

He wanted to scream; scream aloud to say that it was not him! He was the victim here, he, who was stripped down from his title, betrayed, humilated, manipulated and abused, and now dragged on to the court yard, made to kneel there with no self respect or dignity, at noblemens feet.

He took a moment to enjoy the coolness on his knuckles, caused by little droplets of water. He couldn't decide whether it's sweat or tears. He was kneeling under the blazing sun. And he was going to die.

He was afraid. He was very afraid. He was furious and devastated and shattered. He was terrified of dying. But he had been losing his will power, slowly running out of his life force. He knew that even if no one did anything, he would die soon anyway. This is an easy way out. He has to thank his brother for that.

The dreadful beat of the drums stopped. And the man went silent.

It was the moment of the final judgement.

For a once, he craved the fatal drum beat, that used to muffle his heavy breaths and whimpers up until now. Now it's all audible. He could hear his brother saying "pathetic" under his breath, in his signature low honey like voice. He wasn't sure whether he said it in real or in his mind. He was losing the touch with reality.

The emperor stood up, all in his imposing glory, as befitted a true king; a persona he, himself would never fit into. His voice thundered across the golden palace as he spoke.

"Dethroned Prince Minhyung, is immoral and wicked, for to murdering his own kind…"

He pitifully sniffled a cry that threatened to break out from his lips.

"....and I will not tolerate anyone who dares to betray the crown. May this be an example to anyone who attempts such mutiny"

He looked up at his brother, now the Emperor, who looked regal in his ceremonial attire, bearing the heavy golden coronet in his head. It was Jaehyun's coronation day. And he was about to call on his first command.

Tears were streaming down his face as he pleaded with his brother with his eyes, unable to open his mouth. He already knew the emperor won't soften. And he was not disappointed.

“Prince Seo Minhyung will be sentenced to death, as the punishment for his crimes”

He flopped down, pressing his palms against the ground. And when his final tears kissed the earth, he whispered. _“I swear by the name of God that i will avenge this injustice…"_

“Execute him…”

A wicked smile drew on his lips.

_“And i will have you pay with your blood…”_

When he looked up, the last thing he saw was the flash of a blade.


	2. Waking up as a prince with a harem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mark Lee faces gay crisis because of Byun Baekhyun and wakes up as a Prince with a harem

Since he came into the bar, Mark Lee's eyes hadn't left the bartender, Baekhyun's slender figure, who was now leaning over the counter to talk with a random stranger. Mark had always loved how talkative that little bartender was. That had been the sole reason for him to always end up here, for this venue is totally out of Mark's league; too crowded, too loud. 

In his drunken state he couldn't understand a word he was speaking. He was probably flirting, Mark thought, based on the way his lips curled up into a smirk and his cheeks dusted with a hue of pink. 

Then he took another shot to forget about the guilt. He felt so wrong for being sour at that sight. He let out a distressed sigh, wondered whether it was disrespectful of him to stare at the way a guy's lips moved on the day his girlfriend left him. He should be drinking away his sadness, mourning for a lover that he lost. 

  
  


He gulped down another shot, hoping it would burn away his gay crisis as it burned his throat. He didn't even know why he was torturing his body with this liquid. His throat and chest was on fire and his head was spinning, making him lose his vision. Why the heck was he drinking? He was not even that sad. At this point he felt like he was paying honours to the lost girlfriend rather than being a heartbroken Man. 

  
  


' _this sucks_ ' he thought. He should have treated her girlfriend better. Should have given her more attention, spent more time with her. If he did all that he wouldn't be having this crisis he doesn't want to have. But then again, even if he knew that she would leave him beforehand would he have ditched his work for her? Never in a lifetime. At this point he is practically married to "work". Mark acknowledged himself as an excellent strategist, a manager and administrator. Business has always been his passion and he was born with a brain to it. 

  
  


He stole another glance at the bartender, who was turning his back towards him, preparing drinks at the opposite side of the bar. His dark brown hair locks were curled at his nape. For a moment, the fair skin of his lean neck seemed so kissable. His shoulders were narrow. Mark wondered how it would feel to wrap his arms around that tiny frame. 

His eyes slid down to his waist. At this point he was too drunk to feel wrongful about shamelessly checking out the petite bartender. But Baekhyun's waist was too slim, too inviting not to think about clasping it with both of his hands. And how his hip curves and his_

  
  


Mark instantly averted his gaze. This was getting nasty. He was falling deeper and deeper into a rabbit hole. He eyed his almost empty bottle of whiskey and realized that he had spent too much time contemplating his sexual orientation and he should just leave, while there is a hope for his sanity. 

And he stood up, a bit unsteady on his feet. His body felt quite unbalanced and his vision was hazy. He blinked once...twice, trying to focus. And he started regretting his decisions, when an uncontrollable drowsiness started to envelope him. He drank too much…

  
  


And the last thing he heard before he collapsed on the floor was the loud screech of Baekhyun. 

  
  
  


************************************************

  
  


'Minhyung…'

  
  


'Minhyung!'

  
  


Mark tried to open his eyes...but he seemed to be stuck in a dream, unable to wake up. Somewhere inside his head, a voice was calling him_

'Minhyung!!"

  
  
  


_ Who the fuck is Minhyung.. _

  
  


His body was frozen, unable to move a muscle. Is he going through sleep paralysis…

And soon the darkness behind his eyelids, filled with a series of scenes. Like a compilation of video clips. A palace...with a yard filled with men in period typical clothing, a man on a golden throne, who looked like an emperor in ancient stories, a beautiful man beside him…A beaten up man on the ground, tied with ropes, bleeding and crying, who looked at him, right in the eye…

  
  


_ "Save me…" _

  
  


And soon his vision was painted in red. The man was lying, headless on the ground.

  
  


***************************************

Mark jerked awake gasping for air. His body was shuddering and felt like wind knocked out of his chest. When he opened his eyes, his vision was still blurred. But he could make out that he was in some kind of a room. No court yard. No kings and no headless bodies. He let out a relieved sigh, rubbing his face with his hand.  _ Fuck that was scary. _ ..he was just asked to save a person who just got beheaded right Infront of him.

He blinked a few times, till his surroundings became clear, while trying to take deep breaths. 

  
  


As soon as he was confident that he was in control of his own body, he looked around. 

This is not his room!

_ Did he hook up with someone when he was blind drunk? _

  
  
  


He was lying on a bed.

Looking up, there was the roof of a canopy bed with a wide spread of white muslin and exquisite scented sachets hanging from the four corners.

Looking down, he was wearing a set of white clothes with an ancient fragrance and an ancient look.  _ What the heck is this!? _

He didn't dare to look to his left, to see who ever he ended up fucking in his drunken stuper.

But the person next to him, beat him to it.

Amidst his dizziness and splitting headache, there was a gentle voice beside his ear, lightly asking…."Minhyung? What happened….?"

  
  


Mark looked up in horror, to see a  _ man _ leaning over him. Yes! A man! A pretty faced man with big Bambi eyes and silver hair was staring at him. His robes were disheveled, revealing milky white, lean chest. 

  
  


And Mark did what he thought was the most logical; scrambling off the bed, screaming, toppling over the sheets and landing on his butt on the wooden floor. 

  
  


The man instantly sat on bed, revealing more of his body, which did not help at all with Mark's internal struggles. "Minhyung, are you okay? Did you have a nightmare??" He started at him with a worried and concerned look.

  
  


Mark wanted to scream.  _ Who the hell is Minhyung!?  _

  
  


The silver haired man seemed to be confused and disturbed by his reaction. And he was about to get down from bed when the doors of the room were flung open, revealing another man, a  _ boy  _ who looked much younger and had a small figure. 

"I heard the third prince screaming! What happened!? Are you alright my lord!?" The boy spoke frantically.

Mark gave him a puzzled look.  _ Third Prince? Did this man just call him 'third prince'? _

  
  


The intruder had a red strip of clothes wrapped around his head and wearing something like a tunic and pants. He rushed in, to help Mark off the floor, onto a luxurious looking couch. 

  
  


The beauty on the bed quickly fixed his clothes to cover up his body, at the presence of the boy. He got down on his bed and walked towards them, giving him the liberty to take in the elegance of his pose and softness of his looks, despite having a sharp face. 

"Jisung" the beauty addressed the boy. "I think he had a nightmare" 

He sat down next to him on the couch and placed his palm on his forehead, only to pull away quickly, when he felt Mark flinch under his touch. His worried expression shifted into something that is a mixture of relief and sadness. "Thank God...his fever has broken now…"

He looked at Mark, meekly and looked down again fidgeting his fingers where his hands were clasped together on his lap. "It is too cold my lord…let's go to bed…"

Mark was silent for a moment, which earned him confused looks from the beauty. He looked at the boy. And then the Beauty and then the boy again. And Only after that, he decided to drop the bomb.

  
  


"Who are you people?"

  
  


The man next to him froze, his eyes became filled with pure devastation. And when his pretty pink lips start to tremble, Mark almost regretted asking that question. 

  
  


It was the boy who finally broke the suffocating silence. "What do you mean, your highness?" Then he eyed the man next to him. "Perhaps his high fever made his memory hazy?" 

  
  


Oh..

  
  


Mark coughed, deciding to play along until he figures out what was happening. "I...I think it's the fever...I don't think I remember anything…" Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see the beauty looking down, staring at nothingness. His eyes widened with disbelief and horror.

"I don't even remember who am I" 

  
  


The boy quickly looked at the man on the couch, and getting no response from him, he proceeded to speak. The frown on his face remained when he carefully chose his words. "Your majesty is...Prince Minhyung, the third prince in line"

Mark nodded, encouraging him to continue. 

Boy gulped down, his hands fidgeting with the hem of his tunic. "My name is Jisung. I'm your majesty's personal servant"

  
  


Mark nodded again. That was good to hear. This man seems to have a sense. And he seemed easy going and less dramatic. Then his gaze fell on the beauty next to him. And the boy continued, taking his gesture as a cue. 

"He is the young master of Lee family, Lee Taeyong. He…" the boy glanced at the man, and then at Mark. "He is your first consort, your Majesty; the only legal husband of yours, among your seven husbands"

  
  


Seven. Fucking. Husbands!?

  
  


Mark screamed hysterically inside his head. 

  
  
  



	3. Consequences of having a gay crisis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mart makes an effort to understand the alternative universe he was pushed into, and tries to find out who he was supposed to be.

Mark sighed heavily as he sipped the tasteless tea that Third Prince's personal servant, Jisung had prepared for him. The tea was relaxing, it did ease his mind. But that was not enough to lessen the impact of this conundrum. He should be gulping down a bottle of whiskey, to drink his horrors away. But his last experience was too traumatizing to even take one sip of alcohol. What if he woke up in another bizarre world? 

  
Last night, after having an almost heart attack by hearing that he is the husband to 7 young men, he realised that he needed to think; needed to comprehend the situation he was in. Yet, he couldn't imagine doing that in the presence of his first consort's sorrowful expressions, the slight tremble of his pink lips, the shine of his snow-white skin and the coolness of the fabric of his robes against his own skin. 

Can he even call this Beauty  _ 'his' _ ? He belonged to the Third Prince. This palace, these halls and chambers, and every single soul that lived here were all Prince Minhyung's possession. And he was Mark Lee. The imposter. He was not Taeyong's husband. Taeyong's husband was fated to die, accused of treason and betrayed by a lover. That was all he knew. He didn't know how to get out of there or how long was he supposed to be in this world. All he knew was that the person he was transversed into was fated to be beheaded. He has to at least survive. And he needed to figure everything out, to come up with a plan; needed to  _ think. _

  
  


But he couldn't think when Taeyong's presence was making his brain all mushy and weak, void of thoughts and logic, just the awe regarding this heavenly creature. Mark could not get used to his husband's picturesqueness. 

  
  
So, because of his insistence, he was accompanied to Prince Minhyung's personal chamber, much to Taeyong's dismay, who was looking at him with glassy eyes as he left. He didn't speak a word in protest, just accepted his request with a defeated sigh. Prince consort must have loved his Prince so much that a simple desire for some space devastated him. This wasn't fair for Taeyong. He didn't deserve this. 

  
  


Prince's chamber was a room that was much larger than the first consort's. The first thing that came to his mind was that...it was  _ smothering _ him. Mark has always been a minimalistic person. His own room only had a bed, a wardrobe, and a table with a chair to sit. And its walls were completely bare of any adornment. But this room was lavishly decorated. Filled with unnecessary items; some were so ugly that he wasn't sure whether they were there for a decorative purpose. Too much furniture. There was barely any space left. 

In the middle of the chamber was a huge ass bed. It was as large as two king-sized beds combined. Mark thought that he could fit in all of his husbands in that single bed. And he felt his cheeks heat up right away when that thought created a vision in his head. 

Was that the reason this bed is gigantic? Was Prince Minhyung into _orgies_ and stuff? _Oh,_ _God_...Does he have to engage in those too, not to give out the fact that he is an imposter? 

  
  


See, this is what you get for crushing on bartenders and having a gay crisis. God is real. Karma is real. Now he has to bear the consequences; being the stand-in of a perverted old man. 

How old was he even? He didn't feel  _ that _ old. This was the body of a young man. Mark walked towards a life-sized mirror attached to the wall; another item that sang of vanity. The mirror had a thick golden rim, that had delicate patterns of carvings. 

When he stood up In Front of it, he realised that he was the same person. Prince Minhyung looked just like him. He looked like Mark's younger self; when he was ten years ago. This is a boy. A boy who has barely stepped into adulthood. Other than him being younger, prince Minhyung had a major, extremely noticeable difference. His hair was flaming red in colour, which looked surprisingly good on him. 

_ Damn...that looks so...weird...is this genetic? Is this exclusive for royalty?  _

He paced around the room for a while, trying to take a gasp on its layout and finally settled down at a short round table. And his thoughtful servant placed a tray of sweets and tea. Mark must have looked like he was in a desperate need for refreshments. 

  
  


"This humble servant is not allowed to pour tea for you, your Majesty" Jisung spoke as he contradictorily poured tea into a small delicately painted cup and offered it to Mark. "It is the duty of a consort or a concubine. But I was thinking that maybe my Prince is not interested in seeing any of your husbands tonight"

  
  


Mark nodded, mentally wincing when the hot liquid burnt his tongue. He tried his best to hide the pain and keep a neutral face. "Thank you,” he said. And you were right. I'm not in a position to meet any of them. I might need some,.... space…uhh...before I remember everything"

  
  


He gave the boy a pointed look, carefully placing the cup on the table. "And before the sunrise, I want you to tell me  _ Everything _ "

  
  
  


*************

But after he had heard everything, he felt like everything got ten times more complex. If he had a tiny bit of hope for his survival, that completely disappeared when Jisung finished his story. Prince Minhyung was in a crisis. A terrible catastrophe. And he wasn't sure if he could ever save himself from this predicament.

  
  


_ Society was divided into two main genders; female and male and 3 sub genders; alpha, beta and omega. From what Mark could grasp from Jisung's long description, he could understand that alphas are stronger and most masculine, betas are basically normal human beings, about the standards in his own world. Omegas are feminine, physically weaker compared to alphas and betas. Regardless of gender, they have the ability to get pregnant.  _

The last fact made Mark stop the boy in the middle of his speech to recover from the momentary paralyzation that was caused by both shock and horror. That was scary and for some weird reason thrilling at the same time. And it also made him strangely nervous. He needed to be more careful and conscious around these beauties. He would lose his mind if he got  _ any  _ of them pregnant. 

Talking about himself, Prince Minhyung was an alpha. He was the third son of the Emperor Seo Youngho, who was quite sick at the moment, despite being a man who barely passed his youth. He has been spending most of his time in his personal quarters, leaving his administrative work to the First Prince, the Crown Prince, Prince Jaehyun. And the second Prince is the commander of the military, who was supported by the Prime minister's family who had the strongest military power in the kingdom. Both of his elder brothers seemed to be politically and economically strong and influential, while he himself was losing the competition, despite being the most loved child of the Emperor. 

Prince Minhyung had fame for slacking off and fooling around. He was not a good scholar and had been avoiding studying. He didn't even have a grip on the management and administration of his own palace. Mark was getting a splitting headache, thinking about the issues that led to Prince Minhyung's downfall. And he hadn't even spared a thought for his harem; which he personally believed to be the source of every fucking mess third prince had entangled himself in.

_ "There are only 7 members serving the Prince at this mansion," Jisung said. 'only' Mark thought sourly. "Main consort is Consort Lee Taeyong. It was a match made by the Emperor himself. The second consorts position is still empty. The rest are low ranked concubines" _

  
  


_ "So...these men, are they alphas, betas or omegas?"  _

  
  


_ Jisung looked at him as if he asked the dumbest questions in the world.  _

_ "They are omegas! How else will they be able to provide your highness with an heir?" _

  
  


_ Mark rubbed his face in frustration. Of course, they are omegas...ohh...god… _

  
  


"Is there anything else you wish to know, your highness?" Jisung asked politely when Mark seemed to be done with tea and brooding. 

  
  


Mark pondered for a moment. "Before I woke up with amnesia, you told me that I had a fever. What happened to me?"

  
  


"Prince's body is quite weak. So mild fevers are quite normal. They would normally last a day or two. But you were running a high fever for more than a week. Everyone was getting worried, especially the Main Consort. He barely slept in these days"

  
  


Mark sighed. "He should take a rest. He had to deal with so much" He got up and walked to the bed, and stood there for a while, contemplating how to get comfortable on it. As soon as he raised the comforter, ready to slide in, he heard the unclear Voice of a guard outside the door, stating something he couldn't comprehend. He signalled Jisung to check up on the door. 

  
  


Mark saw him slightly open the door to speak with the guard. And much to his dismay, the noise of irritated chatter flowed into the room. The voices of whoever bunched up at his doorstep were getting louder and louder. And his frustration intensified when Jisung appeared in front of him with a defeated look on his face. And with one sentence he made his day ten times worse. 

  
  


"Your concubines are here to see you, your Highness" 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Missing the scent of Lavender in his garden of flowers

A wave of panic swept through his body at the news of his, no, _Prince Minhyung's,_ husbands were waiting at the door, causing a ruckus.

Mark's head was on fire. What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to behave? He was _not_ ready, for God's sake! "Didn't I tell you to order the guards that we are not to be disturbed!?" He whisper screamed his servant, who looked terribly tormented as Well. "They had passed the message to the concubines. But they were refusing to take it easy!" He rambled apologetically. 

  
  


Mark sighed and sat on bed, fixing his disheveled shirt, preparing himself for another headache. He just needed to sleep his worries away. But what he was going to get is another pile of misfortune, "They won't leave, will they?" He asked hopelessly.

  
Jisung smiled sympathetically. "I can only assume that they were just excited to hear Your Highness has woken up" He replied politely.

Even though Mark was ready to do anything to avoid any of his husbands, deep down, he felt a spark of joy, at the attention and care he seemed to receive. He was a normal human being. _Is there anything that feels as blissful as being loved?_ He mused selfishly, thinking about the girlfriend he lost, because of the lack of 'maintenance'. 

But he knew that he should not indulge in these acts of adoration; for in a harem, every gesture of love had an ulterior motive. He needed to see through their actions. A harem is a pit of vipers. So Mark blatantly ignored the pride that swelled in his chest and masked his weary looking face stern expression. "Call them in, the sooner I deal with them is better"

His eyes widened with a sudden realisation. He instantly called his servant who was almost at the door. 

"Jisung,wait!"

The servant halted on his steps, turning back to face his Prince. "Your highness?"

  
  


"Don't let anyone know that I lost my memory" He ordered firmly, in a tight voice. 

The servant politely bowed. "Yes Your Highness"

  
  


And when Jisung finally opened the door, Mark could swear that he almost got blinded by the gleam of colours that streamed into the room when his husbands rushed in to crowd at his feet. Mark felt like he just got shot by a rainbow, considering how colorful their robes and hairs were. The shine of the fabric and of the ornaments they wore, were lightening up his dimly lighted chamber, straining his eyes with the brightness. And the room was being filled with a soft and delightful floral scent, and Mark was sure his chamber would smell like a flower shop for days. 

  
  


As soon as Mark's eyes got used to the glimmering colours, his ears got bombarded with cries and complaints. He was unable to even fathom what they are saying when they were talking over each other. And even when he could finally hear one sentence clearly, he was too distracted to comprehend it because his senses were being indulged and tortured at the same time. Those beauties would press themselves against his side, clinging to his arms or kneel on the floor, resting their heads on his lap, looking at their husband with glassy eyes. 

  
  


"Why did you lock us out my prince?"

"Why wouldn't you want to see us?"

  
  


"Did you forget us when you were spending time with elder brother Taeyong?"

  
  


_Wasn't Prince Minhyung bed ridden for days because of a high fever? Do they have to be this dramatic_?

"My prince looks much healthy now" Pink haired male at his feet said, placing his delicate hand with painted nails on his own. "This slave had been so lonely when you were sick" 

  
  


And the blue haired male was almost on his lap, whispering sultrily at his ear. "Come to _my_ chamber tonight my lord, how can you sleep in the cold lonely bed?"

'That _is_ actually a good idea' He could think in the middle of the crisis. The couch in his living room was much more inviting than this ice coldness. But a chilly, lonely bed is the least of his problems right now.

  
"No!" The one behind him opposed. Mark couldn't even see the person, just hear his velvety voice. "My prince should let _this_ slave serve him tonight" 

Another one on the floor, a really young looking one with orange hair pouted. "But my lord hasn't visited me for a long time"

  
Mark winced internally. His husbands were surely demanding. No wonder that Prince Minhyung's financial and political situation is a catastrophe. How could he focus any of that while dealing with these fussy brides.

  
The one tucked to his other side was much bolder. He had his lips hovering over his neck, teasing him with the satin like touch of his petals. "He needs to come to my place today" the omega whispered against Mark's neck. "I have a message from my father for my lord" 

His warm breath against Mark's skin was sending a wave of pleasure all over his body, Making his head completely empty of coherence and reasoning. And if he was a lesser man, Mark would have granted anything this beauty wished. Well...not really...but there _is_ a possibility. 

When Mark was in own world, living his life as a normal human being, he had a habit of watching television while having dinner; mostly news. But he would catch a glimpse of a reality show or a drama. And one thing he never understood was the reason they had to give unnecessary attention to a harem. And he sometimes felt like it is utterly idiotic of those direction crew to make it seem like everything revolves around the it.

And now _he_ felt utterly idiotic when he was almost ready to give the consent to anything these little devils whispered in his ears. 

The blue haired male, being encouraged by his fellow omega's action, pressed his body impossibly closer, stroking the lapels of his shirt in a teasing delicacy. And Mark's heart skipped a beat everytime his husband's deinty fingertips, 'accidentally' brushed against his slightly revealed chest. "This slave has _so_ _much_ to discuss with my lord. Didn't my Prince promise me that you would look into the tax collection proposal for "dongbu he"? He whispered sensually.

  
Mark sighed in distress. Of Course they would start talking about politics and governance, using their seduction skills to make their husband agree on whatever their families proposed. Mark couldn't blame them for that. That was the purpose of almost all of the court omegas. But he couldn't afford to let them get into his head. He couldn't abandon them either. He needed to play his cards well, not to give any of them a reason to betray him one day. 

  
Mark sighed in defeat when he miserably failed in slipping his arms out of his husbands' deadly grasps. "I do know that you all missed me terribly" he talked in a gentle understanding tone. "But don't you think that it's very impolite for a royal concubine to cause commotion at my door?" He asked them. "Didn't I give out the clear instruction that I am not to be disturbed? Why were you bothering my guards in this break of dawn?"

Prince Minhyung might be a weakling but it doesn't mean that _he_ would let anyone walk all over him. Especially his husbands.

  
A heavy silence fell upon the room. His concubines stared at each other's faces with wide eyes. The one behind him got down from bed and stood in front of him with his hands folded in front of his chest, huffing in frustration.

"What are you saying, my lord? It's almost noon!" He pushed his shining black hair over his shoulder. The rest of the group agreed in unison. "Why are you being so cold? Do you find us not favourable enough now?" 

  
The orange haired male's face twisted in horror. Mark's heart broke at his tearful eyes. He cried inside his head. _This is too much for him!._ The young man's voice was quavering as he spoke. "Did you find another omega during your visits to a courtesans house?". 

"My prince is so shameless. You don't love us enough but still go around looking for men" The one standing Infront of him exclaimed, not even bothering to hide the disgust. 

  
_What the actual fuck!?_

This prince had more than half a dozen husbands but he still went looking for an omega? His gaze unconsciously fell down on his crotch. _Is this man's dick still intact?_

Mark felt as if he was stripped naked in the middle of a crowd. He stared hard at the ground, wishing that it would open and swallow him up. Why was he cursed to play such a lousy, perverted character? How was he supposed to defend himself against _this_ accusation? Tell them that they were not enough? That he was not satisfied? 

"It's not like that little love" He tried, cringing at his own sweet talk. "This prince is just exhausted and recovering from the fever. I merely needed some rest" explained himself, looking at the younger as lovingly as possible, hoping that he would forget about the previous complaint.

Fearing that he would have to involve in an another interrogation, Mark was about to ask them to leave when_

  
  


"Prince Consort has arrived"

  
  
  
  


Mark's body went stiff at the announcement, heart racing, threatening to break out from his chest. He didn't even want think why he felt as if he was caught red handed by his wife at a brothel. Before he could even say anything to stop them, the doors to his chamber was opened, revealing Taeyong, who was holding a tray of food. And Mark witnessed the light in his consort's slightly widened eyes disappear at the sight of his husband, who left him to have some space, now sitting on a bed, pampered by the concubines of the palace. 

  
  
  


Taeyong was frozen at the door, looking at the scene with an unreadable expression in his dreary eyes. Mark cursed inside his head. _How can he even save this situation?_ One of these vixens had his hand inside his shirt and another had his lips pressed against his neck. How the hell was he supposed to convince his consort that he _didn't_ leave him to play with them.

  
Before Mark could even utter a word, omegas around him stood up abruptly to greet their superior, bowing down with their hands clasped at the front, which Taeyong accepted with a barely visible nod. 

  
Finally free from his concubines, Mark could stand up and walk up to his husband, who busied himself with diligently placing the dishes on the round table. Taeyong's sculptured figure appeared as ethereal as of a Greek goddess's in that dress made of pure white silk robes, with lotus flowers embroidered on its sleeves and pleats with a shining silver thread. His waist length hair was loosely braided at the end, and was gently falling over his shoulder, void of any ornament. Taeyong's face was bare of any make up. His whole appearance spoke of simplicity and modesty, contrary to other omegas in the harem. But there was no one who was as breathtaking as Taeyong. And Mark hated being the cause of the melancholy that was wrapping up this angelic creature. 

  
  


"I didn't call any of them here" He helplessly provided, when he finally stood near his husband. "They were causing a scene at my chamber, that I had to call them in" 

  
  


Taeyong's expression was convincing enough that he didn't believe his words for a second. He bowed down, in the same way concubines did. His eyes downcasted, refusing to meet Mark's.

  
  


"Taeyong pays respect to his husband" He greeted. "And I apologize for the intrusion. Since it's near the middle of the day, I assume that my prince might want to have breakfast" His voice was even and calm, and icy cold. "I will accept the punishment for disobeying my lords orders"

  
  


"No, no, no, no'' mark hurriedly held his shoulders and raised him up. Even though Taeyong was almost as tall as him, his frame felt so tiny and fragile in his arms, as if had a habit of making himself look smaller, to appear as unthreatening as possible, instead of standing tall and imposing, as befits for someone in his position.

Mark sighed in defeat. "You haven't done anything wrong to be punished. _I_ am sorry for the misunderstanding I caused"

  
  


"Misunderstanding?" Taeyong asked, eyes wide and gaze piercing; a silent accusation. "My lord _does_ know that you can call anyone you want, at any time you want, don't you?"

  
  


"I do know," Mark replied. "But I want you to know that I didn't call them"

Taeyong was silent. But Mark didn't miss how his eyes unintentionally scanned his face, as if he was looking for something that he already knew wasn't there. For some reason unbeknown to him, Mark was hoping that he would say something; throw a tantrum, protest, whine, cry, at least voice out the accusation that was burning at the tip of his tongue. But none of that was done by his consort. 

Instead he slightly bowed again. "Taeyong asks for the permission to leave. I would like to rest at my pavilion today, undisturbed, if my prince let me" 

  
  


And Mark knew very well what it was translated into. _'I don't want to see you again today'._ And it hurt him more than he thought it would. But he couldn't do anything else to convince that he was innocent. If his husband asked for space, he would give it. And it also would give _him_ some time to come up with something to figure out Prince Minhyung's relationship with his husbands, especially the Prince consort. 

  
  


"Permission granted" he said grimly, standing in his position. And when the doors opened, he could only stare at his husband leaving; step away swiftly, the silk of his robes flowing obediently behind him. And Mark was there, standing at the entrance, breathing in the soft lavender scent, unable to disregard the fact that he was missing a stranger he met the day before. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. The helplessness he felt that day will be his driving force.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the late update :( (I'm like 3 days late). I had few editing rounds going on. Hoping to update right on time the next time!

Mark sighed wearily, leaning back on his chair. His aching shoulders were heavy on his stiff torso. And vision was starting to blur, as a result of the irritation in his eyes caused by constant reading. 

For the past week he spent here, he had been neck deep in work; reading study materials, scripts and scrolls and letters. Books regarding etiquettes, traditions, politics, court system, legal system were piling up on the tables of the study. He had just finished going through the financial records of his household and deal documents. And he was not sure whether the pounding in his head was solely caused by the tiredness, or the tragic situation of his Palace. 

Third prince had been assigned with the governance of the southern province of the empire. But the states were under the management of ministers,and were ruled by noble families or wealthy merchant families. And Prince seemed to have no control whatsoever. Even though the tax collection was done according to a royal decree, the collected taxes were also managed by the ministers or village chiefs. And they would keep their commission and send the rest, (which was apparently a small percentage) to the capital, for the management of the Third Prince's palace. 

And scrolling through documents he had also found out that some of his concubines were from those noble families who ruled his lands.. That made perfect sense why his omegas were so interested in tax collection or the administration of whatever district they are from. He wouldn't blame them though. That was the task they were given from their families.

Apart from taxes, Prince also got an allowance from the emperor, which was also a considerable amount. Yet, the financial situation was extremely tight. After spending a huge amount on concubines allowance, servants' wages and the maintenance of the palace property, only a small amount of money is left to be deposited to the treasury. And now it was even worse. Servants were underpaid for a few months, armoury was empty, weapons were sold, the kitchen was understaffed, and the palace barely had any protection because of the lack of guards. 

Mark whined in distress, ' _how many problems does he have to solve? And what the fuck happened to the weapons? Stolen? Pawned? Depending on his character, it's most likely the latter'_

  
After he spent another few minutes staring at a wall contemplating whether he should give in; Just live his life until he gets beheaded one day, .he decided to completely forget about the hell hole he was in and take a little walk outside; maybe explore his own castle. 

His personal servant, Jisung, had been making frequent trips to the Imperial palace, carrying Books and boxes filled with scrolls all day and Mark excused him from the duties for the rest of the evening. And without him, there was no one to clean up the mess he created in the middle of the library. Tables were overflowing with the scrolls, on which he took notes or h

practiced cholegraphy. It had been like that for the past week. He would overwork himself until late night and walk out looking like a zombie. And in the few times he left the study in middle of the day, he got to see his husbands idling around, lounging under the sun, soaking their feet in lotus ponds or playing board games in the open pavilion around the courtyard. Even though the sight was refreshing to his eyes, it was making him grumble to himself in jealousy. They sure were enjoying life, while he himself looked like a corpse awakened from dead, with bloodshot eyes and pale skin.

And he would keep trying to solve Prince's problems even after he retired to his sleeping chamber, unable to escape from the pool of thoughts while getting changed by servants, or dining on the foods Taeyong sent. 

Oh...that _angel_ Taeyong... Taeyong, who unmistakably sent him meals, when eating was the last thing in his mind. Taeyong, who was taking care of him, even though he refused to see him on his own will. And only after dining in the luxurious food for a few days he got to know that it was Taeyong, who had been preparing his meals. It melted his heart to see how much effort he had put into it, to prepare his food nutritiously and delightfully. He was not _that_ oblivious, not to see Taeyong's silent love for him in the delicate decorations on the plates. 

Mark wondered whether his husband really wanted to make him food. Maybe he _had_ to prepare meals himself, because the kitchen was understaffed.

He dreaded thinking about Taeyong's misfortune,to be the Prince Consort of Minhyung. He deserved more than that. He worthed more than a lousy husband and a destitute household. He knew that it's the same for every other concubine in this Palace. But he couldn't help but accept the fact that Taeyong was different. He was special, was above anyone else. His beauty, his grace, everything about him ambrosial. It was hard to convince himself that he was a human, not a celestial being. And that divine creature had to end up with serving lost cause of a husband. Mark couldn't help but sympathize with his Consort who's life was being wasted here. 

He didn't get to see Taeyong for the rest of the days he spent as the imposter of the Third prince, Seo Minhyung. It didn't take much effort to be convinced that Taeyong was purposely avoiding him. He hadn't set foot in Prince's quarters; sending messages through servants, Or Jisung, who told Mark that his husband barely left his own pavilion; which explains why Mark was unable to get a glimpse of him. And he was no any better than Taeyong.. He, himself was barely outside that he even worried that people would come to think that the Palace was missing it's master . He spent his day, cooped up in his chamber or the library of the third Prince's palace, subsequently avoiding both his concubines and husband.

  
Mark begrudgingly stood up and left the study, trudging across the courtyard, walking wherever his tired feet were taking him. There were two main buildings on the vast Palace ground; Third Prince's pavilion, which also included a study, and a conference room and Prince consort's pavilion which included Prince consort's chamber, residential area of concubines, kitchen, laundry rooms, and dining areas. The structure made perfect sense. As the head of the harem and the authority of the inner palace, the Main Consort has easy access to any department under his control. Mark was yet to explore the inner Palace. These days he had been avoiding it like a plague. He walked passed another hall attached to the inner palace, which he assumed to be the one reserved for the Second Consort and Third Consort. 

Servants and guards on his way would instantly reposition themselves, clearing the Prince's path and would descend to a bowing position to greet him. But it was impossible to unhear the whispers emerged from the groups. 

  
  


" _Third price seems to be healthy again"_

" _He is the least bright heir. Useless. Playing around with omegas and gambling his possession away"_

_"I feel so sorry for the Prime Minister's son. How ill fated he was to be married to him"_

  
  


He strode past the gate, gritting his teeth. From the corner of his eyes saw guards at the entrance Bowing to him. What a pathetic life Prince Minhyung had been living to be disrespected like that in the daylight! And by none other than lowly servants! He could handle the fact that Minhyung was not firm. But being a subject to such humiliation was making him want to sentence every one who uttered a discourteous word to death. But then again, that gesture itself was an action of a ruler who doesn't deserve respect. He needed to wait patiently and find a better way to gain the trust and admiration of his subjects. 

Yet, he acknowledged these comments as blessings in disguise. He could easily plan scheme in piece without any unwanted attention, when people in the Palace don't take him seriously. No one was acknowledging him as a competition, or a threat. It was better to leave everything just as it was.

Mark had been so deep in thought that It took a moment for him to realise that the background noise of the people had disappeared and he was met with a dead silence. He looked around to figure out where he had ended up. 

In his thoughts he had walked into a communal place of the Palace, connected by a bridge to a garden-like place. When he looked over the fence of the bridge, he could see the beautiful lotus pond with Koi fishes in it. 

He was enjoying the scenery when he picked up on the sound of the rapidly approaching footsteps. He instinctively turned back, only to see the shine of a blade, slashing through the air, when he unconsciously jumped back. Mark quickly moved forward and grabbed the wrist of hand that held the dagger, but the strength of his grip barely stopped the strike. The arms were too weak. He immediately grabbed the attacker's shoulder with one hand and kicked his feet to flip him to the ground. And unexpectedly, he lost the balance on his feet and tumbled down on the body. Mark Cursed internally. The vessel he was transversed into was too weak. Prince's body couldn't handle his black belt level aikido techniques. He looked at the person squirming under him, to see a pair of beautiful almond shaped brown eyes staring at him accusingly. The bottom half of his face was covered by a silk veil.

Mark was about to remove the veil when_

  
"Who dares to mess with my concubine in the middle of the day!?" 

  
  


Mark quickly twisted the wrist he was holding to release the dagger and hid it under his own robes. When he raised his head, he was cursed with the sight of a figure approaching him, whose face was contorted with rage. He had one of his hands, clenched around the hilt of his sword, ready to pull it out from the scabbard. 

  
Only then Mark realized the scandalous position he was in; pinning another man's concubine under him. Before he could even remove himself, the omega abruptly pushed him aside, with a strength that wasn't apparent in that small frame. Mark landed on his butt unceremoniously. 

The omega scrambled over to his master, and looked up at him with eyes filled with tears and sobbed, clinging to his leg. "My Prince came! My prince came to save me! This slave was being harassed by the Third prince! I was just taking a stroll and he attacked me out of nowhere!"

Mark sighed. Wasn't _he_ the one who almost got murdered here? He stood up, patting the dust away from his pants and robes. And took a moment to assess the appearance of the person Infront of him. 

The man was a head taller than him, well built, and stood imposingly. His crimson hair was pulled into a top knot and secured with a golden piece. His outfit was similar to him; both had a dragon emblem embroidered on the front of the flaming red coloured outer robe with a shining gold thread. The only exceptions were the leather atom guards and metal shoulder plates the man was wearing. He looked like a warrior, while he himself looked like a spoiled young master. This must be the Second Prince, Prince Yuta. 

  
Mark imitated the way his male guards bowed to him, bending down, with his hands clasped Infront on him; left hand on top. "Minhyung greets his imperial brother"

  
The outraged expression on Second Prince's face seemed to be relaxed at the courteousness of his brother. "Well...well..well.. if this isn't our little Minhyung" He spoke in an amused tone, uncaring of the omega at his feet.

  
"Did Taeyong finally decide to give up on you for good, that you had to go around molesting _my_ concubine?"

  
"Taeyong and I are in the best terms," Mark lied, holding his head straight. "Thank you for your concern" 

"And what happened here was an accident" He continued. "I was merely taking a stroll and missed my steps on the bridge and fell down on your attendant, whom I didn't notice" He lied again. "You know how clumsy this little brother is''. He purposely sold himself short.

Yuta didn't seem to buy his lie. He didn't seem to be intended on questioning him either. And Mark realized that the concubine was doing this under his orders. He snickered inside his head. The head of the military was using an omega to assassinate his brother. How disgusting...

His brother squinted at him. "Weren't you unconscious for days? I didn't think that little brother would wake up this time. I'm glad to see you in good health again" Yuta didn't even bother to hide the smug look on his face, as if he was publicly admitting his desire for the Third Prince's death. 

  
_This man is despicable._ Mark thought, as he refused to avert his gaze. "I feel _honoured_ to know that my second brother was disturbed by my condition. I'll try my best to maintain my good health". He gritted his teeth and forced a smile. "I wouldn't want to make my brother worry" 

  
Yuta snarled under his breath, like a frustrated beast. "I don't like the way you look at me" He closed the gap between them with a one stride to grab his arm and looked down at him menacingly. "Aren't you becoming braver brother?"

  
Mark hissed in pain. The grip around his arm was so tight that he felt like his veins were about to pop. "What did I even do to make you feel like that!" He struggled to release his arm, clawing on Yuta's iron grasp. He was certain that if he tightened his grip more, his arm would break in half. Yuta laughed as he held him tighter, watching him frantically trying to save his arm. "What do you think you are doing!?" Mark screamed in pain "Arrghh!! Just let_"

  
  
  


"Please let him go"

  
  
  


And his arm was released immediately. And Yuta was staring at something above his shoulder. His stoned face was pale, his slightly parted lips were quivering,as if he saw a ghost. Mark quickly held his abused arm close and turned around to see whom that voice belonged to; to see the person that could make Yuta comply with one request. 

  
  


And the sight he was met with, felt like a bucket of ice thrown on his head. It was his Consort, Lee Taeyong, kneeling on the ground, with his head lowered and hands pressed on ground. 

  
  


"Please let my husband go" He begged. "He is still recovering. Please have mercy on him!" 

  
  


Mark felt as if wind was knocked out from his body. He would have let Yuta break his arm thousand times, not to see his husband begging on his knees. 

And when he could feel the shards of the view in front of him sink into his heart, he knew that they would stay there forever, stabbing his heart constantly, reminding him how worthless and useless he was right then. He promised himself that he would never forget this moment. He would never forget the day his husband had to go through that humiliation for his sake. The helplessness he felt today, will be his driving force as long as he lives as the Third Prince of the Palace.

  
  
  
  



	6. Stealing a Bride from a Wedding Parade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm extremely sorry for the late update. It had been a really tough weak and this chapter was super hard to write.
> 
> But I'll update the next one as soon as possible ;)

Mark silently sat on Taeyong's bed when his chief consort rummaged through his drawers. Much to his dismay, after the commotion with Prince Yuta, Taeyong had held his hand and led him to the inner Palace. But Mark was too inattentive to resist and Taeyong was too determined to let him go. 

His gaze lingered on his consort's lips; slightly Moving and trembling as he muttered to himself. Taeyong had been the most peculiar case he had witnessed so far. He was silent and demure. Soft-spoken yet cold-hearted. After his silent breakdown at his husband's memory loss, Mark hadn't witnessed any stir of emotions in him. He always appeared to be in a daze, looking at something so far away. It was strange, that someone so melancholic appeared to be so bewitching, amazing him with his presence each time he sees him. 

  
  


It was even more strange how dropped down on his knees to just save his arm. His arm!. The worst thing that could have happened was getting his arm broken. And yet Taeyong fell at a monster's feet, begging to be merciful. Taeyong, who always appeared to be as delicate as a snowflake, was so strong-willed that it almost scared him. The indescribable feelings that bloomed in his heart for Taeyong, scared him. 

  
  
  


And if there is anything else that scared the hell out of him, it was his psycho brother. Yuta was not what he expected him to be. For a military commander, he predicted the second prince to be someone aloof and rigid. He was ready for a brute, not a maniac. It would never be easy, dealing with a crazy person, with an overwhelming strength. Yuta could break his limbs as twigs even without having a reason to. And he almost succeeded. 

  
  


He watched Taeyong being preoccupied with preparing which could be most likely an ointment and ordering servants around. As he observed him, he couldn't help but reminisce about the unsettling feeling he got regarding the shift of atmosphere around Second Prince, at Taeyong's presence. He had been having such an amusement bullying him, scaring him, assaulting him. Yuta's eyes were shining in mirth. But that mirth shifted into a burning rage at the sight of Lee Taeyong throwing away his pride and dignity for the sake of his little brother. He still feels the shiver that ran down his spine at the monstrous stare that immobalized him on the spot.

It didn't sound ridiculing when Yuta muttered,  _ "How pathetic" _ before he left with a swish of his sleeves. They were spiteful. If anything...he would have thought that...Yuta was….  _ jealous _ . Envy of the fact that Taeyong belonged to  _ him _ . He hoped he wasn't right. To earn the envy of his maniac brother, was a curse itself.

  
  


His trance-like state was broken when Taeyong walked up to bed with a tray and sat next to him. He gently placed his injured arm on his lap and started compressing the swell with the wet towel his servants had brought. Mark could only watch, as his husband silently treated him. Taeyong's touch was so delicate, the affection in his eyes was so tender that it was clouding his mind with unwelcomed sentiments. Mark used to have a firm grip on his feelings. He was leading a company. Most of the time he  _ had _ to be solid and apathetic in work. And it was inevitable that his work habits were leaking into his personal life. Which could also be the reason his girlfriend left him in the first place. He wasn't caring enough. He wasn't dedicated enough. He wasn't exposing himself to love. He wasn't  _ vulnerable _ enough. But at Taeyong's devotion, something inside of him was pleading him to give in; to yield and seek that warmth.

  
  


Taeyong finished his task, after applying an ointment and wrapping his arm with a clean bandage. But he was yet to let go his hand, which he softly held. "I'm sorry" he whispered, looking down. 

  
  


Mark stared at him with widened eyes, without knowing what to say. Taeyong glanced at him meekly. "I apologise for what I did. I shouldn't have acted so carelessly. What I did.. " he paused, averting his gaze, searching for the correct words. "What I did was a blow on your pride, as an alpha...and a prince…"

Mark was unable to control the woeful expression that took over his face. Was that what society expected from omegas? To apologize for the faults of alphas? How cruel...how unfair that this world created something so delicate like a flower, only to crush it with the weight of the burdens of the society. Mark's finger tips itched to cease the slight frown lines between Taeyong's eyebrows. But he was afraid of what touching Taeyong's face, that seemed as smooth as a lotus petal, might do to his heart.

Instead held his hand tight, making his husband gasp in surprise. "You did nothing wrong Taeyong" Mark replied regretfully. "What damaged my pride was not your conduct. It was my pitifullness, that made you do such a thing"

  
  
  


He chuckled bitterly. "There hasn't much left to be destroyed in my dignity anyway". He peeked at Taeyong with weary eyes. "You on the other hand, shouldn't have thrown away you're self-respect for the sake of someone like me"

  
  


"Someone like  _ you _ ?" Taeyong inquired. 

  
  


"Someone weak and pathetic; Someone who couldn't even stand up for himself. Someone unloved and abandoned. I'm not worth it"

  
  


Taeyong let go of his hand, looking away silently. He pursed his lips and the words that were meant to be heard by Mark, stuck in his throat, unable to escape into the air. 

  
  


Mark waited for a moment, hoping that Taeyong would say something,  _ anything _ ...so that Mark would have at least one single clue of what is going on between them. Even though it wasn't difficult to understand the dynamic, he hoped to hear it from his consort. Then he realised that his assumptions couldn't be too far from the truth anyway. Taeyong had a player of a husband who made no effort for the sake of his household. There must have been so many tears in those defeated eyes. 

  
  


Mark took his husband's hand ones again and rubbed his knuckles with his thumb. He offered Taeyong a soft smile. "Thank you for everything you have done for me"

  
  


Mark felt a stab in his heart at how Taeyong’s eyes widened at the expression of just simple gratitude. He held his hand tighter without giving up. “Thank you for taking care of me even when you are upset. Thank you for making me exquisite food. I have never tasted anything as delicious as the meals you prepared for me” He revealed, looking at his husband with his breath held, dreading that the hopelessness of his eyes would remain. But deep down, he was already contend. Society may have been breaking omegas' spirits. But  _ he _ can make sure that they get the credit they deserve. 

Then he saw the corner of his consort's lips slightly curving upwards. And Mark relished the gentle wave of satisfaction spread through his chest. 

  
  


************

Mark aimlessly walked through the bustling streets of the city, looking curiously at the packed up stalls. His ears were ringing with the throaty voices of the vendors, and the noisy chatter of passersby. And his inner robes were soaked in sweat, clinging to his body like a second skin. 

  
  


As soon as the swell of his forearm disappeared, Mark had decided to take a stroll in the town. And when he mentioned this to Jisung, he graciously provided him with an outfit of a nobleman, which wasn't as heavy as his royal attire. But it still had two inner robes and a silk outer robe and Mark was sweating buckets underneath. 

  
  


He was about to turn into the street that led to "Yan Xiang" pavilion; a house of courtesans for elites that Prince Minhyung used to visit frequently, when a blob of red appeared at the distance. Only after a moment of waiting he realised that it was a wedding parade, slowly approaching where he was. The parade was led by the bridegroom, riding a white horse. The groom seemed to be a noble man, judging from the extravagance of the wedding attire group of guards trailing behind him. And the bride, who was draped in red, was sitting on an open palanquin, that was carried by eight men. Some old men and neatly dressed women, (most likely brides family) were walking behind him. Maybe the bride's family is not as wealthy as the family she marries into.

  
  


'It must be an arranged union' Mark thought, observing how lifeless and uninteresting the parade was. And only when he leaned over to take a closer look he saw that the hands of the bride were tied with a rope. He looked around shocked. But no one seemed to notice it in the middle of loitering about how rich the groom was, and how lucky the bride was to be married to him. 

Mark eyed the bride worriedly, unable to ignore the unsettling feeling in his gut. An arranged marriage is...well... whatever. But to physically force someone to marry? 

Shaking his head slightly in disapproval, he turned to leave. How could he worry about a forced bride when he himself was in a distressing situation. And yet he couldn't take two steps before the crowd started screaming. He turned around startled, to see the bride plunging into the air landing just Infront of him. He had released his hands from the ties and jumped off the cast. 

  
  


The bride pulled off the red veil that was covering his head and swiftly moved behind Mark, providing him with the look of his slightly tanned face with sharp features and fierce eyes and the scent of….wild berries. 

  
  


_ An omega… _

_ a male omega… _

  
  


Mark couldn't even stop himself from shifting front, pulling the omega behind him when the guards rushed forward, pulling their swords out of scabbards, led by a scrawny old man waving his fist at them. His face was burning in red with rage as he shouted at the omega behind him. 

"This little wench doesn't seem to stop causing us troubles!" The man snarled, trying to drag the omega from behind Mark. "I should have sold you to the red light district!"

  
  


Moving forward, Mark blocked the omega from the old man, covering him from the man's abuse. "He is clearly uninterested. Why are you forcing him huh?" 

  
  


The man looked at him sharply. "This young master shouldn't meddle with our business. This omega is 22 years old. Nobody wants to marry an old omega!"

  
  


"Only 22 years? He is so young! What is with this unnecessary rush?" Mark argued, looking at the man challengingly. 

  
  


The man stared at him incredulously "Are you out of your mind, my lord? He is way past the age of marriage for an omega. I'm not planning to be burdened by him anymore" He glared at the young omega, who was looking at the stalls curiously, nonchalant to the man's antics. "I'm lucky that a nobleman agreed to buy this omega for 30 ingots"

  
  
  


Mark scoffed. "Only 30 ingots for a face like this?" He inquired pointing at the omega. 

  
  


"What are you trying to imply, my lord? Do you wish to buy this omega?"

  
  


Mark gasped,taken aback by the man's offer. "Well..I..uh.." He stuttered, hesitating to say anything. There is no way he could buy him! What is he gonna do with him? Make him a servant? Add him to his harem? That's impossible! He cannot take care of another omega! And Taeyong...how was he supposed to break it to his husband!? Tell him that, 'oh I crashed a wedding parade and stole a bride from the groom'!?

  
  


"Capture the bride!" The old man ordered, seeing the unresponsiveness of the noble man who was covering his son, and the guards rushed towards him. Before he could even protest, he was roughly pulled back by his arm and the omega plunged forward with a tightly gripped bamboo stick in his hand. With one single strike, he had a one man flying back to the ground. The guards tumbled back as the beauty spun around, his stick clashing with the swords with an unimaginable force. But soon he was outnumbered, when two men crept from behind and held his arms back, making the omega vulnerable to the two standing guards, who had their swords pointed right Infront of his chest. The omega struggled in their grasp, tugging his arms vigorously. And the guards who were thrown off to ground had to come to aid the ones that were holding him. 

  
  


The old man squeezed forward from the rapidly growing crowd, and started striking the omega menacingly with his bony hand nonstop that Mark had to come between them again, which made the old alpha even more furious. 

"You! You are the reason for all this troubles!! Everything was peaceful until you had to put your nose where it doesn't belong!"

  
  


"Well…" Mark drawled, eyeing the groom who was approaching them, with a stern look on his face. "Well... obviously this omega has already tarnished his reputation, causing such a ruckus on his wedding day"

  
  


He turned to the groom. "Do you want to marry this aggressive omega? How hard would it be to discipline such a wild one?"

  
  


The men shared a sceptical look. The groom stepped forward. "What is this young master suggesting? I have already promised to pay 30 ingots. And look how much I had to spend for the wedding Ceremony!" He exclaimed, gesturing at the….well...what used to be the parade. 

  
  
  


Mark pretended to be thinking for a while. Then he took a quick look at the fuming omega. "Why won't you sell this bride to me? I'll give you 100 ingots. You can divide the money however you want"

  
  
  


******

"What are you planning to do with me?" The omega asked, pulling Mark out of his pool of thoughts. They had been strolling in silence for a while now. The omega had been walking slightly behind Mark, with his head lowered and hand clasped together. And Mark had been too immersed in thought to initiate a conversation.

  
  


"Huh?" Mark halted on his steps to pay attention to the omega. 

  
  


"What are you going to do with me? Are you going to marry me?" The omega inquired, staring at him with intense eyes. 

Mark shook his head. "Impossible. There is no way I'm going to marry you". He started walking again. "Please come along. It's getting darker. My husband would start to worry. I haven't told him where I was going"

  
  


The man slowly stepped behind him, wrapping his arms around his torso protectively. "You have a husband! Are you taking me to make me your mistress!?"

  
  


Mark rubbed his face distressingly. _A_ _fucking mistress_? _Yup. That was all I needed_. "Please stop...you are going to make me traumatized. Even that word makes me wanna puke" He fastened his pace.

  
  


"How about this?" The omega pressed. "I will offer you my virginity, as a token of my gratitude, for the price you paid for me. But then you have to release me"

  
  


Mark quickly put a distance between them, as if he was terrified of being contaminated by a disease. The colour drained from his face as if he had seen a ghost, when he looked at the bride in horror. "Don't even think about it!" He warned, emphasizing each word. "If you ever tried to make an advance on me, I swear I'm going to lock you up for the rest of your life" He turned around and continued walking. "Keep your virginity to yourself. Or...well...give it to anyone else you want, for all I care" He added offhandedly.

  
  


"Don't tell me you rescued me for no reason. Because I'm not going to believe that for a second" The omega scowled, hurrying up to him. 

  
  


"Of course I didn't buy you to set you free! Who do you think I am? A saint?"

  
  


"Then why…"

  
  


Mark paused on his steps. "What is your name again?"

  
  


The bride blinked at him. "I haven't told you yet"

  
  


Mark looked around, his eyes unfocused. "Ah…"

The man waited for a moment and sighed in defeat. "It's Jeno. Lee Jeno"

  
  


Marksmiled at him, placing his hand on the omegas shoulder. "You are going to be my personal guard, and protect me with your life that you owe me" 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
